MAPLE SUGAR. 



43 



The quantity, color and taste are materially influ- 

 enced by the care taken in the various stages of its 

 manufacture, tlie cleanliness observed in the gather- 

 ing of the sap, and its evaporation to the graining 

 point By reason of the high temperature required 

 in the last stages of evaporation, unless great care be 

 taken, it is very apt to be burnt, and acquires a bit- 

 ter enipyrcuniatic flavor, very dilferent from its own 

 peculiar aroma and taste. 



To gather the sap in buckets from fifty or one hun- 

 dred trees, and carry it by manual labor to the ketr 

 ties, we know from experience is rather hard work, 

 and we much prefer having previously broken out 

 good roads, to let the conveyance be done in a barrel 

 on a sled drawn by horses or oxen, than carry it our- 

 selves. Much lifting may oftentimes be saved, if the 

 place of manufacture be so much elevated on one 

 side that the sap will run from the bai-rel or hogs- 

 head into the boilers in a steady stream by simply 

 turning a faucet near the lower part of the caak used 

 for its conveyance. 



It has also been ascertained by careful experiments 

 that the flow of sap dei>ends more upon the depth of 

 the incision than upon its external size — also that 

 an aperture half an inch in diameter is almost equally 

 as effective as one of double its size; but in the one 

 case the wound readily heals over by the growth of 

 the same season — in the other, the growth of several 

 seasons will hardly close the wound, endangering the 

 vigor and health of the tree. 



The experiment to which we refer was made under 

 the direction of the Agricultural Club of Brattle- 

 boro', Vt., and is in substance as follows: "In the 

 spring of 1850, a committee consisting of three per- 

 sons, was appointed to ascertain by actual experi- 

 ment the proper size and depth of the bore in tap- 

 ping tha sugar maple. They accordingly proceeded 

 to test this question in the most thorough manner, 

 using all sizes of bits, from half an inch to an inch 

 and a half in diameter — each making his experiment 

 independently of the other — and the result of all 

 was, that no difference could be perceived — the half 

 inch giving as mucli sap as any other. Each one 

 also tapped several trees, setting two buckets to a 

 tree, with a single spile to each, but bored to difTer- 

 eut depths, from one to three and a half inches; and 

 the results in this case were in e\'ery instance, when 

 the weather was sufficiently warm to thaw the tree 

 through, that the flow of sap was in proportion to 

 the depth of bore; and to make the matter more 

 certain, on deepening the shallow bores subsequently, 

 they immediately overtook the others in quantity. 



These experiments were repeated in 1851 by a differ- 

 ent committee, with the same general results." 



The sap of the sugar maple and a few other treej 

 only, yields sugar when taken from the tree before the 

 expansion of the buds and blossoms from their dor- 

 mant state; — what precise change is induced by the 

 expansion of the buds, whether of cause and effect, 

 we know not. AVe also know that clear bright days 

 alternating with frosty nights give the greatest flow 

 of sap; and that if mild weather ensues and contin- 

 ues for any length of time, we can only obtain an 

 uncrystalizable syi'up as the product. 



Supposing your buckets are all in order and readi- 

 ness — troughs made by the axe we would only use 

 as a last resort, simply because they become such 

 convenient receptacles of dead leaves, &c. — take 

 your spiles or tubes of suitable diameter, with a hole 

 through them of one- quarter of an inch in diame- 

 ter, with an auger, bore aljout three inches into the 

 body of the tree, let the tube enter the tree only so 

 far as will be necessary to ensure its permanent at- 

 tachment; attach your bucket to a nail or peg driven 

 into the body of the tree a little above the spout, and 

 you may feel secure that a casual thaw will not per- 

 haps upset your trough and spill the sap. 



Below w-e give an account of the process adopted 

 by Mr. Woodward, who obtained the premium from 

 the State Agricultural Society, in 184G, for the best 

 article of maple sugar. The statement says: 



" In the first place, I make my buckets, tubs and 

 kettles all perfectly clean. I boil the sap in a potash 

 kettle, set in an arch in such a manner that the edge 

 of the kettle is defended all around from the fira 

 This is continued through the day, taking care not 

 to have anything in the kettle that will give color to 

 the sap, and to keep it well skimmed. At night I 

 leave fire enough under the kettle to boil the sap 

 nearly or quite to syrup by the next morning. I 

 then take it out of the kettle and strain it through a 

 flannel cloth into a tub, if it is sweet enough; if not, 

 I put it in a caldron kettle, which I have hung on a 

 pole in such a manner that I can swing it on and oft 

 the fire at pleasure, and finish boiling, then strain into 

 the tub, and let it stand till the next morning. I then 

 take this and the syrup in the kettle, and put it alto- 

 gether in the caldron, and sugar it off. To clarify 

 100 lbs. of sugar, I use the whites of five or six eggs, 

 well beaten, about one quart of new milk, and a 

 spoonful of saleratus, all well mixed with syrup be- 

 fore it is scalding hot. I keep a moderate fire direct- 

 ly under the caldron until the scum is all raised; then 

 skim it ofi" clean, taking care not to let it boil so as 

 to rise in the kettle before I have done skimming it; 

 when it is sugared off, leaving it so damp that it will 

 drain a little. I let it remain in the kettle until it is 

 well granulated; I then put it into boxes made small- 

 est at the bottom, that will hold from fifty to seventy 

 pounds, having a thin piece of board fitted in two or 



